Method of and apparatus for compressing a volume of material to be packaged

ABSTRACT

A VOLUME OF MATERIAL TO BE PACKAGED, E.G. HIGH LOFT MATERIAL OF THE TYPE HAVING A HIGH VOLUME PER UNIT WEIGHT CHARACTERISTIC, IS DISCLOSED AS BEING PACKAGED BY COMPRESSING THE MATERIAL THROUGH THE EXERTION OF COMPRESSIVE FORCES THEREON BY A PLURALITY OF REVOLVING COMPRESSION TUBES, MAINTAINING THE MATERIAL IN COMPRESSED CONDITION WHILE PASSING A PACKAGING DEVICE SUCH AS A BAG THEREAROUND, AND CONCURRENTLY REMOVING BOTH THE COMPRESSED MATERIAL AND THE PACKAGING DEVICE FROM THE COMPRESSING MEANS, THE PACKAGED MATERIAL BEING OF A VOLUME LESS THAN THE VOLUME OF THE MATERIAL PRIOR TO PACKAGING.

Sept. 21,2197] Filed Oct. :22", 1969 METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSI-NG A VOLUIB 0! MATERIAL '10 BE PACKAGED 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOI? HUGH 6. DUGA 3' MAR/V a JA/VGARA THIS ATTORNEYS Sept. 21, 1971 c, DUGAN 3,606,725

I METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSING A VOLUME 0F MATERIAL TO BE PACKAGED Filed Oct.- 22, 1969 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 mmmlfl'f'l'i'iii'liiTi 'll'himlllnnn p 1971 H. c. DUGAN METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSING A VOLUME OF MATERIAL TO BE PACKAGED 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 22, 1969 United States Patent O 3,606,725 METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR COM- PRESSING A VOLUME F MATERIAL TO BE PACKAGED Hugh C. Dugan, Nutley, NJ. (Carlee Corporation,

P.0. Box 26, Northvale, NJ. 07647) Filed Oct. 22, 1969, Ser. No. 868,352

Int. Cl. B65b 1/24, 63/02 US. CI. 53-24 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to methods of and apparatus for packaging material.

One of the principal objectives of those concerned with methods of and apparatus for packaging materials, e.g. packaging materials for shipment or storage, is the reduction of the specific bulk of the packaged material so as to maximize the utilization of shipping and storage volumes. Such specific bulk reduction, i.e. reduction in occupied volume per unit weight, is of particular importance in packaging materials such as high loft materials which, as is known by those skilled in the art, are materials which are designed to provide a high volume per unit weight ratio. Examples of such high loft materials are the synthetic materials used between layers of garment material to achieve a quilting effect in the garment industry, fiber type insulations, and the highly porous materials used generally in commercial air conditioning and ventilation systems.

The primary disadvantages of shipping and storing materials having a high volume per unit weight ratio are the inefficiencies in the utilization of load carrying capability of transport vehicles such as trucks, and in the utilization of storage space. There are two basic limiting characteristics of any material storage area, viz. the capability to contain volume and the capability to support Weight. The effect of these limiting characteristics is best described with respect to the typical truck. Every truck has a defined cargo volume as well as a specificially defined weight load carrying capacity. Maximum usage of the cargo carrying capacity of the truck is made when the cargo volume is occupied and the weight load carrying capacity is fully utilized. When the volumetric capacity of the truck is fully occupied but the weight load carrying capacity is not fully utilized, the truck is not being used at maximum efficiency. Such a situation occurs in the transport of high loft materials. Thus, a load of high loft material, the weight of which is equal to the weight load carrying capacity of a single truck, may require ten trucks to transport because of the large volume of the load as compared with the volumetric capacity of the truck.

'It is considered to be clear that the higher the ratio of volume to weight, the more acute becomes the problem. Thus, those concerned with the shipment and storage of materials having a high specific bulk, and in particular high loft materials, have attempted various approaches Patented Sept. 21, 1971 to reducing the volume per unit weight of the materials when packaged for shipment.

Among the approaches taken has been the packaging method of inserting a roll of high loft material within a bag and thereafter evacuating the bag in an attempt to collapse the bag on the material and decrease the volume thereof. This approach as well as others generally known in the art have been unsatisfactory in that they have resulted in non-uniform decreases in the size of the loft material, thereby frequently causing localized compacting and the introduction of a permanent set to the loft material. Such a permanent set which occurs when the material is deformed beyond its yield point, is undesirable since any packaging method to be acceptable for the packaging of high loft materials must package the material in such a manner as to allow substantially complete recovery of its original volume upon removal from the package for use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the light of the foregoing considerations, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide a method of and apparatus for packaging a material, which method and apparatus enable the comp-acting and wrapping of the material, so as to improve the volume per unit weight ratio thereof.

A method for accomplishing this objective according to the invention may include the steps of positioning material to be packaged within a compressing device, introducing compressing forces against the surface of a volume of material to be packaged, continuing the exertion of the forces to reduce the volume of the material to be packaged, positioning a packaging means over the reduced volume of material to be packaged, and thereafter removing the volume of material with the packaging means thereover from the compressing means.

An apparatus for packaging according to the method of the invention may include displaceable means for containing a volume of material to be packaged, means for displacing said displaceable means against said volume of material to be packaged to compress said volume of material to be packaged and reduce the volume thereof, said means for containing being adapted to receive a packaging means thereover when in material compressing position and for allowing the removal of both said packaging means and said volume of material to be packaged after the positioning of said packaging means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A more complete understanding of the present invention may be had from a consideration of the following detailed description particularly when considered in the light of the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective elevational view of an apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partial front view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 showing the compressing means in open position; and

FIG. 5 is a partial front View similar to FIG. 4 but showing the compressing means in closed position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring therefore to FIG. 1, an apparatus according to the invention is designated generally by the reference numeral 10. Apparatus 10 comprises a base 12, on which is secured by suitable means such as bolts, a vertically extending generally rectangular support plate 14.

Journalled in support plate 14 are a plurality of shafts 16 on which are eccentrically mounted a plurality of compression tubes 18 which will be discussed below in detail.

The eccentricity of compression tubes 18 with respect to shaft 16 is provided by radius arms 22 which connect each of shafts 16 to their respective tubes 18. As is discussed below in detail, rotation of shafts 16 causes a revolution of tubes 18 in such a manner that the arcuate positioning of each of compression tubes 18 is cooperatively related to the arcuate positioning to each of the other tubes 18. Thus, no matter what the position of tubes 18, their longitudinal axes cooperate to define points on the circumference of a circle.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the operating mechanism for controlling the positioning of compression tubes 18 is designated generally by the reference numeral 30. Specifically, operating mechanism 30 includes a fluid motor 32 which is pivotally mounted such as by U-frame 34 and pintle 35 on base 12. Fluid motor 32 operates to reciprocate a piston rod 38, which rod is operably connected adjacent the outer edge of a bull gear 39 by a pin 40 which extends longitudinally through and is journalled within a suitable bore adjacent the outer edge of bull gear 39.

Bull gear 39 is rotatably mounted on a longitudinally extending axle 42 which is rigidly mounted on support plate 14. The axis of axle 42 is coaxial with the centerline of the circle, the circumference of which contains the centerlines of tubes 18.

Positioned concentrically around bull gear 39 and in operating engagement therewith are a plurality of planetary gears 44. Thus, bull gear 39 defines a sun gear for driving planetary gears 44. Each of planetary gears 44 is rigidly secured to one of shafts 16 which, as noted above, extend through and are journalled within bores in support plate 14. The diameters and number of teeth on each of planetary gears 44 are equal so that for any radial displacement of bull gear 39 there is an equal radial displacement of each of planetary gears 44.

As noted above, rotation is imparted to bull gear 39 by the piston rod 38 of a fluid motor 32. The operating mechanism for fluid motor 32 is shown as a hydraulic system including a pump 46 and control valve 47 which selectively cause the introduction of pressurized fluid to the upper and lower ends 49, 51 of fluid motor 32 through suitable fluid lines 53, 54 respectively. Such an operating mechanism is known by those skilled in the art and it is to be recognized that the operation of fluid motor 32 by pneumatic as well as hydraulic or other means may be accomplished without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Considering now the operation of the apparatus of FIG. 1, and with particular reference to FIG. 3, it can be seen that the operation of fluid motor 32 causes the displacement of piston rod 38 which, in turn, causes either the clockwise or counterclockwise rotation of bull gear 39. Rotation of bull gear 39 in turn causes the rotation of planet gears 44, the teeth of which are in meshed engagement with the teeth of bull gear 39. In that each of planet gears 44 is rigidly secured to a shaft 16 which is journalled for rotation in support plate 14, the rotation of planet gear 14 causes rotation therewith of shafts 16.

As may now be best seen with respect to FIG. 1, the rotation of shafts 16 causes the arcuate displacement or revolution of compression tubes 18 as a result of the radial displacement of radius arms 22. Compression tubes 18 are selectively displaceable from a radially outwardly extended position such as that shown in FIG. 4 to a radially inwardly extended position such as that shown in FIG. 5. The radially open position of FIG. 4 defines the position in which tubes 18 are maintained for receiving a volume of material, e.g. a roll of high loft material 48, which is to be packaged. With the roll of material 48 so positioned, fluid motor 32 is actuated to cause the revolution of bull gear 39, planet gears 44 and therewith shafts 16. As seen in FIG. 5, shafts 16 are of equal length and rotated together in the same arcuate direction, e.g. counterclockwise as seen in FIG. 5, so as to cause the displacement of each of compression tubes 18 to be equal in amount. Displacement of compression tubes 18 from the position shown in FIG. 4 to the position shown in FIG. 5 causes compression of the roll 48 of high loft material from a volume such as that shown in phantom line in FIG. 4 to a volume such as that shown in phantom line in FIG. 5. The amount of compression and volume reduction is controllable by controlling the displacement of the piston rod 38 of fluid motor 32, and will vary in accordance with the nature of the material being packaged.

The capability to control the compression of the material being packaged and the amount of volume reduction is a significant advantage of the invention. More specifically, a requirement of many materials is that they be capable of establishing and retaining a volume per unit weight characteristic. Thus, although reduction in the volume per unit weight is desirable for shipping and storing purposes, it is equally desirable with respect to many materials that upon being unpackaged they expand and regain their original volume per unit weight characteristic. Such a requirement can be met if the characteristics of the material to be packaged enable a compression of the material without the introduction of a permanent set. In this regard, most materials have a yield stress which, if exceeded, causes the material to be permently deformed. Within the limits of the yield stress, however, the materials can be deformed, e.g. compressed, and upon the release of the deforming forces will return to their original shape. The method and apparatus of the invention, in that the compression forces exerted are controllable, allow the material to be packaged to be compressed up to the limit of its yield strength thereby allowing the material to be packaged in its smallest possible volume without jeoparidizing its capability for returning to its original shape upon removal of the packaging material. The amount of compression which any particular material can withstand without suflering permanent set can be determined empirically, or in many cases by calcination in manners known to those skilled in the art.

With compression tubes 18 arcuately displaced so as to compress roll 48 of material to the position shown in FIG. 5, a suitable package such as bag 50 (FIG. 2) is positioned around both the roll of material 48 and the compression tubes 18. As is shown in FIG. 2, the bag 50 may be suitably positioned by sliding the open bag over the free ends of compression tubes 18 until the bag fully covers the roll of material contained and compressed within the compression tubes.

Upon the final positioning of bag 50, fluid motor 32 is actuated to displace rod 38, bull gear 39 and planet gears 44 to cause rotation of compression tubes 18 away from the closed or compression position shown in solid lines in FIG. 5 to the position shown in broken lines in FIG. 5. The degree of rotation accomplished at this time is less than that necessary to rotate the compression tubes to the full open position as shown in FIG. 4. More specifically, the degree of opening rotation accomplished at this time is sufficient to allow the expansion of material 48 within bag 50 withoutcausing the destruction of bag 50 by the displacement of compression tubes 18. In this regard, the amount of rotation of tubes 18 which may be accomplished without causing rupture of bag 50 will depend upon the physical characteristics of the bag material and may be determined empirically for each situation.

With the tubes 18 opened so as to allow expansion of loft material 48 within bag 50 without rupture of bag 50, the loft material and bag are removed together by sliding them longitudinally axially over compression tubes 18. When the loft material has been fully removed from the tubes, the tubes are further rotated from the intermediate material-removing position to the fully opened position shown in FIG. 4 and the apparatus is now in position for receiving another volume of material to be packaged.

The apparatus of FIG. 1 has been used to package high loft material such as bonded polyester and with respect to such material has accomplished a decrease in the volume to weight ratio of approximately 25%. Thus, because of the packaging approach of the invention, five packaged rolls of material can be transported or stored in the same space which at one time was capable of storing only 4 packaged rolls of the same material. The advantages of this improvement in the volume to weight ratio are considered to be clearly significant.

Compression tubes 18 may be solid or hollow tubes and it has been found that with respect to the packaging of certain materials, the coating of tubes 18 with a low friction material such as Teflon improves the ease with with which the packaged material can be removed upon the completion of packaging.

The method and apparatus of the present invention are extremely simple in both approach and structure. It is considered to be manifest, therefore, that various alterations to both the method and apparatus of the invention may be accomplished without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for compressing a volume of high loft material to be packaged including:

displaceable means comprised of a plurality of peripherally disposed tubular members defining a volume within which to receive said volume of high loft material to be packaged; and

operating means for radially displacing said displaceable means between a radially outwardly extended position and a radially inwardly extended position, said displaceable means receiving said volume of high loft material to be packaged in said radially outwardly extended position and substantially reducing the volume of the high loft material during displacement to said radially inwardly extended position, said displaceable means in said radially inwardly extended position accommodating the reception therearound of a packaging means.

2. Method of packing high loft material comprising the steps of:

positioning said high loft material within a radially outwardly extended position of compressing means; radially compressing said high loft material to reduce substantially the volume occupied thereby; surrounding said compressing means with a packaging means while maintaining the compression on said material;

partially radially decompressing said material; and

removing said material and said packaging means from said compressing means so that said material is contained Within said packaging means and occupies a volume substantially less than that occupied by said material prior to compression.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said tubular members are supported as cantilevers from said operating means.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said operating means comprises: I

a sun gear and a plurality of planetary gears operably engaged to said sun gear, each of said planetary gears for driving a shaft for displacing said displaceable means; and

motive means for driving said sun gear.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said displaceable means and said shafts are connected by a radius arm which imparts revolution to said displaceable means in response to rotation of said shafts.

6. Apparatus for compressing a material comprising:

support means;

means formed in said support means for rotatably receiving a plurality of shafts therethrough;

a plurality of compression tubes for defining a material receiving space, each compression tube being connected at one end to one of a plurality of radius arms, each of said shafts having one of said plurality of radius arms mounted thereon;

means for rotating said shafts comprising a sun gear and a plurality of planetary gears in operative engagement therewith, each of said planetary gears being rigidly mounted on one of said plurality of shafts; and

means for imparting rotation to said sun gear, whereby rotation of said sun gear causes rotation of said shafts and said radius arms thereby causing revolution of said tubes to vary the volume of said material receiving space.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein:

said compression tubes cooperate to define a generally cylindrical material receiving space;

said planetary gears are each of equal diameter and provided with an equal number of teeth; and

said radius arms are of equal length whereby the operation of said means for imparting rotation causes revolution of said tubes in equal amounts.

8. Method according to claim 2 wherein said material is a resilient material and said step of compressing said material is limited to compression by an amount less than that compression which would permanently deform said material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,843,984 7/1958 Dunning 532 6 1X 3,129,658 4/1964 Valente 53124X 3,363,396 1/1968 Lockrow et a1. 53-124 3,499,261 3/1970 Hullhorst et a1. 5324 TRAVIS S. MCGEHEE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

